Battery cell



E. A. HARRIS BATTERY CELL Filed oct. 2, 1 924 mmmxm\\\\m l Swanton 5 case to preclude its resented oci. 13, 192s.

onl'rau STATES PATENT OFFICE.

BATTERY CELL.

Application tiled (totnher 2, 19.24. Serial No. 741,168.

To alt whom z't may conce-mf" y Be it known that I, EARL A. HARnIs, a citizen of the United States, residing at Scranton, county of Lackawanna, State of Pennsylvania, have' invented certain new and useful Improvements in Battery Cells, of which the following is' a specification.

This invention relates to cells of storage batteries, an object of which is to provi c a cell ot such construction and arrangement as to enable the same to be readily and efectively cleansed and recharged with solution; the operation necessary to this end being so simple as to be capable of pern formance by others than those skilled in or familiar with such work.

A further object is to provide means ci extremely simple nature whereby standard battery cells of the type now in use may be readily cleaned with little eiort.

A still further object is to provide the .battery case with means whereby cleaning may be eiectively performed, and which involves no obstacle or projection in the o proper application to the standard battery box.

A still further and particular object is to so construct a battery case that the lates therefor may be readily and proper y assembled therein and removed when desired to permit of the cleaning operation, and which has its interior so constructed as to permit a cleaning fluid directed therein to reach all parts and corners of the case vhere sediment is most likely to accumuate.

With these objects in view, together with others which will appear as the description proceeds, the invention consists in the novel construction, combination and arrangement of parts, all as will be more :fully described hereinafter, `illustrated in the drawing, and particularly pointed out in the claims.

In the drawingml y Fig. l is a vertical longitudinal sectional view taken through a battery case constructed in accordance with the invention.

Fig. 2 is a vertical transverse sectional view taken1 through the case, and

Fig. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary longitudinal sectional view through the lower part of the case.

lt is generally known to users of storage batteries that sediment: from' the active material of the battery grids resulting from ,tom of the battery cell, whic 'chemical action, accumulates u on the boteventually causes shortcircuiting when .suiicient of this matter has accumulated, resulting in the deterioration of the cellsy and thelr final destruction unless such material is removed and the'cells recharged. The work of removing and washing out this sediment has heretofore been attended with difficulty Aand usually has required the services of persons skilled in this articular line of work.

diiicult atten ant upon such work is due to the act that the battery Acells when con nected together in the usual manner, as by bus-bars or burned connections, are inaccessble, it being necessary frequently to disconnect the cells of a series` at the ex penditure of considerable time and labor. Furthermore, in such operations, the machine with which the battery is associated must remain out of service. until this op eration has been completed, or must be provided with a substitute set of battery cells. l

As heretofore stated, a particular 'object' of the invention is to provide means whereby the battery case may be readily cleaned or washed out by one unskilled in such work wit-hout the necessity of entirely disorganizing the battery outfit. y

In carrying out the invention the cell which comprlses a bottom .4, end walls 5 and side walls 6, is provided preferably in its end walls and near the floor or bottom thereof with openings 7 aligned with each other and normally closed by plugs indi cated at 8. ltk is preferred that these open ings be so close to the bottom or floor of the cell that water or sediment) may be readily drained therethrough. The plugs for closing these openings4 are perferably threaded into the same, and are counter 'sunk at their outer ends so that when driven home the ends thereof will lie flush with the outer surface of the ends 5 of the case. The case is provided, as usual, with ribs or su ports for the plates, and in carry'iumn out t e present invention these ribs, indicated at 9,.are disposed a proper` distance above the 'floor of the case, transversely of the latter., and have their lower edges ont away as at l0 to permit of the free passage of washing fluid and sediment beneath the said ribs. y

When. itis desired to cleanse the cell, both plugs 8 are removed and a jet of water or llltif uit ' the openings other cleanin iud is directed into one of The pressure of the liquid will loosen the sediment and cause the same to be violently agitated and driven through the opening 7 at the opposite end of the cell, and this' operation continues until all sediment has been removed from the cell. After this, the plugs 8 are applied and driven home so as to make a liquid proof closure for the openings 7, whereupon the cell may be sup- .plied with a fresh solution.

As heretofore stated, the openings 7 are threaded lto receive the plugs 8, and the tube '11 through which the cleaning iuid is projected, may be equipped with a threaded nozzle 12 to engage with the threads of the said opening. This will greatly, facilitate cleaning and willv be found mostexpedient where the cleaning iuid may be projected under high pressure.

From the foregoing, itis apparent that I have provided a battery cell thoroughly vcapableof performing the several objects set desired, without departing from the spirit of the invention as set forth in the claims. Having thus described my invention, I claim:

1. A battery cell having openings at the sides thereof alined with each other and disposed substantially at the floor of the cell.

2. A battery cell comprising a floor and side walls, the said walls having openings therein alined with each other and at approximately the floor level of the cell, and. plugs to close said openings.

3. A battery cell compr1sing a floor and side walls, ribs extending laterally of said cell and having their lower edges above the saidfloor, and the said walls having Aopenings therein" at approximately the floor level of the cell.

4.'A battery cell comprising a floor and side walls, the saidwalls having openings therein alined with each other, the said o enings being counter-sunk on the outer aces of the walls, and plugs for insertion in said openings and to be received in said countersunk portions.

5. A. battery cell comprising a lioor and side Walls. the said Walls having openings therein alined with each other, ribs in said cell spaced upwardly from the said .bottom and above said openings, and screw plugs for insertion in said openings and adapted to lie flush with the outer faces of said walls.

In testimoni7 whereof I aiiix my signature.

EARL A. HARRIS. 

